


Your Villanelle

by become_android



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brutal Murder, F/F, Masturbation, Miscarriage, Murder, Rough Sex, Suicide Attempt, elena is also a computer nerd, kenny is also now a butch lesbian photographer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2019-09-20 11:05:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17021496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/become_android/pseuds/become_android
Summary: Eve has a good life. A good, mundane life. She is married to a good man, she has a few good friends, and she is retired from the police force after being shot on the job by Europe's biggest assassin. But when her former boss wants help on a case, Eve finds herself thrown back into the web of her old attacker, Villanelle. As the case gets closer and closer to catching Villanelle, so too do her coworkers learn of the nuances of Eve's relationship to the female assassin.





	1. Blood on the Walls

A glass of wine sat beside Eve on the floor of her bathroom. She hadn’t always been one to hide a bottle of wine in the bathroom, but desperate times called for desperate measures. As she topped off her glass, her eyes traced the shoebox seated in front of her. Eve wasn’t interested in Nikes, no, the contents of the box were much more personal than just a pair of sneakers. She lifted the lid and looked at what was stuffed inside: envelopes upon envelopes packed in rows. The one she plucked out of those long lines was wrinkled with the sign of all the other times she had held it and wrung her hands around it. Its address was nothing but a red kiss on the front, and Eve could feel her heartbeat accelerate as she pulled the letter out from the package.

“My heart, Eve.” The bullet wound on her hip ached as she mouthed the words. It had been five years. Five long, happy years. Her marriage, despite being a little rocky still, was recovering. Her friends visited often, and the parties she hosted always went off without a hitch. Her house was almost exactly how she’d always dreamed after she’d remodeled it in her years after leaving the police force. Her life was, to the outside eye, perfect. Or at least, as perfect as it could be given the circumstances. But here she was, forever drawn to this box with its multitude of read letters.

Bedsprings creaked in the bedroom, and Eve quickly hid her box under the sink. She couldn’t have her husband worrying about her focus on the past. He entered the bathroom and took the wine glass out of her hand before setting it on top of the toilet seat. Eve rubbed her temples with the palms of her hands, and her husband touched her shoulder as he sat beside her.

“Dr. Lee said you weren’t supposed to do night drinking anymore,” He murmured and Eve just scoffed. “She says that when you get to feeling like this you’re supposed to talk.”

“Dr. Lee doesn’t know shit.”

“Eve…”

“My scar hurts.” She set her head against her husband and he wrapped an arm around her. The warmth from his body comforted her, so she continued, “It reminds me of her every time it flares up. And then thinking of her… Y’know, it just makes it hurt even worse.”

“You want me to set up an appointment with Dr. Lee this week?” He asked, but Eve just batted her hand as if to shoo away any concern.

“Niko, no, it’s fine.” She grabbed the wine bottle and shuffled to a stand. She wasn’t lying that the scar hurt; she should have brought her cane in with her. “I just… Need to hit the hay.”

“I should throw out all the wine,” Niko said as he followed her out the bathroom door, but Eve just laughed.

“You don’t think I’d sneak more in?” Her grin was devilish, but she pushed Niko's face away as he approached her for a kiss. Dr. Lee had told her that she needed to be more catering to Niko if she wanted their marriage to strengthen, but she really didn’t feel like sex. As Eve lifted the bedsheets to crawl under them, the doorbell rang through the house. She pushed Niko off of the bed and said, “You can take care of that.”

“You’ve been up longer than me,” He argued, but she pointed at her leg with a raised eyebrow.

“You know how long it takes me to move down those stairs with this thing.”

“Fine.” His footsteps dissipated as they headed downstairs, and Eve let herself fall into the comfort of the mattress. That Niko always did whatever she asked if she brought up her old wound. He still felt guilty that he hadn’t been home at the right time to stop her from getting shot. But what could he have done? Eve yawned and rested her head on her pillow. Those glasses of wine were making her sleepy, and she could feel herself starting to nod off. Suddenly her husband called from the front door, “Hey, honey? The cops are here for you.”

Her eyes rolled in her head as she heaved herself out of bed, and she grabbed her cane from the side table. They were probably trying to get her to be a detective again, but she’d promised Niko that she wouldn’t do it again after getting shot. As she made her way downstairs, she could see Niko standing in the mud room with a worried look on his face. Eve's former boss, Carolyn Martens, stood beside him. A grave look sat on her face, and the hat that had been on her head was quickly doffed as Eve entered the room.

“I hate to come around so late,” Carolyn spoke as Eve adjusted her bra strap and laughed. 

“Didn’t stop you, now did it?”

“It’s just…” The older woman’s mouth gaped open before she quickly closed it. The hat in her hands shuffled from hand to hand as she thought of the next thing to say. Finally, she spoke again, “We think she’s back.”

“Who?” Eve knew the answer, but she couldn’t stop herself from asking. 

“Villanelle.” The name made her blood run cold. She’d thought she’d been gone all these years. All these long, happy years. Carolyn continued, “We were hoping that with your experience in the matter that we could get your help.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Niko said and pointed at Eve's cane, “She can hardly walk because of that psychopath! You seriously expect her to just up and help you? After all the time in the hospital and in therapy? She was stalked, for God’s sake! By a serial killer!”  
“I know this isn’t easy,” Carolyn said as she set a hand on Niko to attempt to calm him down, “But the investigation will be weak if we can’t get someone on it who’s witnessed Villanelle's work firsthand.”

“You need to leave-”

“I’ll do it,” Eve piped up, and Niko flashed her a horrified look, “At least to confirm whether or not it was actually Villanelle. This could just be a false positive.”

“Honey, I don’t think-” Her husband began, but she just placed a kiss on his lips and patted his cheek to reassure him.

“It’d be good for me to get some fresh air, hm?” She said as she wrapped a scarf around her neck and drew on her wool peacoat. The front door opened and she stepped out into the brisk, winter air. She’d need to get the Christmas lights up before it was too late. Carolyn's car was still running, and when they climbed in it was so warm that Eve had to take off her scarf. It was almost thrilling to be heading back to another crime scene after having been gone from the work for so long, and she smiled as Carolyn turned on a familiar pop song. Her boss spoke up, “I know this sounds odd, but does it smell like alcohol in here to you?”

“Nope.” She moved her scarf so it covered her mouth. Maybe Niko was right to worry about the night drinking.

~~~

All heads turned to stare at the pair as they arrived on scene, and one woman dressed in a very fine looking suit rushed forward to greet them. Her hair was short and her eyes were wide, and the camera around her neck bounced with every step of her stride. The scent of Old Spice wafted around her in waves, and the overpowering smell reminded her of Niko when she introduced him to her family while she was pregnant. Who was the lady trying so desperately to impress? The woman stuck her hand out for Eve to shake, and she took it as the woman eagerly shook it.

“Eve Polastri ?” She spoke as she shook Eve's hand up and down.

“In the flesh.”

“I can’t believe it!” She was still shaking Eve's hand. “You’re a legend down at the department! I mean, face to face with Villanelle! And coming out of it alive! You’re amazing!”

“And you are…?” Eve ventured, and the poor woman’s face melted from excitement to pure horror. She pulled her hand away and ran it through what little hair she had.

“Kendra Stowton.” Her face flushed bright red. “But you can call me Kenny. I take photos of crime scenes for the station. And, apparently, a crazy fan who doesn’t know when to calm down.”

“Why the get-up, Kenny?” Carolyn asked as she waved her hand towards her ensemble. Despite what Eve was thinking was humanly possible, Kenny flushed an even deeper shade of red.

“Was meeting the girlfriend’s parents tonight,” She muttered, “Should’ve scheduled a night when I wasn’t on call. Had to walk out of a dinner reservation at Le Bernardin. Pretty sure they hate me now cause of that.”

“Don’t be so silly, Kenny!” Carolyn laughed as the trio began to make their way towards the yellow tape sectioning off the murder, “I’m sure the chutzpah of you to wear that much cologne was what made them hate you.”

Time seemed to slow as the trio approached the yellow tape. Police filed in and out from the sectioned off house, but they seemed to be nothing but slow blurs to Eve. When she had the tape lifted over her, it was as if the her path had been cleared just by the fates rather than another officer. When she climbed the steps of the extravagant house, it was as if she were climbing the steepest mountain. When she turned the knob to the front door, it felt like it took a million years. 

The courage she had held when she had agreed to visit the scene seemed to disappear, and she was left an anxious wreck. Her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute and she was sweating bullets. Why were the lights so bright? Couldn’t they turn off a couple of those chandeliers? The sound of her cane hitting the floor with every step she took seemed to reverb within her very being. An arm grabbed her, and Eve's head snapped to look at who had jolted her out of her thoughts.

“You don’t have to see it.” Carolyn's voice was soft, and the lines in her forehead were creased. “Knowing that Villanelle could be back… I know this is almost unbearable for you. If you want to head back home, that’s okay. I can get Kenny to drive you home.”

It was a tempting offer, but she had to know whether or not Carolyn's theory was true or not. The sentimentality was comforting, though. Eve pulled away from Carolyn and pushed the door that led to the main living room. A beautiful grand piano sat to the side, and there huge, beautiful glass windows that showed the backyard stretched for what seemed miles. The sofas, sitting in their circle, were only occupied by a man in a previously white button up now stained crimson. In fact, this crimson seemed to have stained more than just his shirt: the floor, the walls, even the bottles of liquor yards away from the murder.

Her heart leapt to her throat as she turned to look at the wall to her right. The blood that had been splattered around the room without care was arranged more meticulously on this side of the room. Eve could feel her feet walking towards the wall, but her spirit seemed to leave her body. Instead, it was as if it had gone back in time to watch the murder that had taken place. Her hands may have been tracing the bloody letters written out on the wall, but her soul wasn’t there. It was watching Villanelle as she sloppily killed a man, probably rusty in her years off. He probably had tried to fight her off, delivering a few solid punches on her muscular body before Villanelle finally overcame him. Then she took that deep, deep, deep crimson from his blood and wrote on the walls the two most haunting words she had ever read: “Your Villanelle's Home”.

“Did you search the house?” Eve demanded as she snapped around to stare accusingly at Carolyn. The older woman was shocked at the sharp tone in her voice, but she simply nodded before opening her mouth.

“Every square inch of it three times. We even had teams survey the surrounding area to see if she was still here. She hasn’t turned up.”

“Search again then!” Eve hissed before turning back to stare at the words on the wall again. It had been five, long, happy years and now it was back to this. Her leg throbbed, but when she went to sit down on a side table, she ended up getting her butt soaked in blood on accident. Her hands shook as she rung them together. “I need a drink.”

“So, is that a ‘yes’ to helping the investigation?” Carolyn asked.

“Obviously."


	2. A Unwelcome Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Villanelle arrives at her apartment after being tipped off that someone is trespassing. She runs into someone from the five years before her re-emergence as an assassin.

Blood was still stuck under her nails despite her diligent attention to them while she scrubbed her hands. The faucets in that rich banker’s house were very nice. Pure silver and molded into the shape of swans taking off for flight. They were too nice to not have any security cameras inside or outside, and too nice to not hide your key in a sneakier place than under your doormat. How could someone whose whole career was based off analyzing statistics and making sound investments be so stupid when it came to his own safety? Even in those final moments he was stupid: swinging punches at her just made Oksana more angry and made his murder that much more gruesome.

But she didn’t care about him. She didn’t even care about how much money she would make from him. Well, maybe she cared a little about the money. No, instead her eyes were focused on the porch light of Eve’s house. Niko must have left it on for her after she rushed to the crime scene with Carolyn. How kind. How sweet. Oksana hated him with every fiber of her being, and she wished she could take her still bloody hands and squeeze them around his frail throat. Get even more of that crimson under her nails. But she wouldn’t. Because Eve wouldn’t want it. Sadly, she would never want it.

Headlights shined out from a side street, and a car pulled in front of Eve’s home. The lady of the hour climbed out and quietly thanked the driver before hobbling up the steps of her house. It had been five years since Oksana had seen that familiar shape, that familiar figure, and she was taken aback by the new limp. Their last encounter hadn’t been the nicest, but she’d never thought that the shot would have caused such lasting damage. Then again, she hadn’t stayed for much long after the gun fired.

She stepped out from her place in the shadows and headed across the road towards Eve who was still collecting herself on the porch. Though her steps were confident and meticulous, Oksana didn’t really know what she was doing. Her thoughts preyed on the approval of Eve: would she have been impressed that of her grand return? Viscera and gore was never Eve’s thing, but she would be happy to see her again, wouldn’t she? 

Eve let her hair down from her ponytail and shook the black waves out as she reasoned aloud to herself how she’d approach the topic of her new job with Niko. Oksana imagined herself running up behind Eve and sticking her face in that mane, and she imagined that its owner would laugh and laugh at how peculiar Oksana is. She could imagine Eve’s mouth parting in a smile as she hit her shoulder lightly and laughed, “Fuck, Oksana! You fucking scared me!”

None of her fantasy came true, though. They never did. Her quick strides were interrupted by the vibrating of her phone, and she rolled her eyes as she pulled aside into a nearby alley to answer it. The contact said “Landlady” and was also labelled with two emojis: one of a hand flipping her off and one of a little old lady. It was suiting.

“I think someone’s in your apartment,” The voice whispered before Oksana could even utter a simple greeting, “Their steps weren’t yours, and I heard your door open. You’re not home yet, are you?”

“Aw, you know what my steps sound like?” She said in a mocking tone.

“Oh, shut up. I’m just looking out for your stupid ass. Are you home or not?”

“No.” Before the other woman could speak again, Oksana turned the phone off and tried to see if she could get one last glimpse of Eve, but she’d headed inside her home. Her chest warmed as she thought of peeking in through a window to get an actual last look, but she had business to take care of at the moment. She’d have to come back later for better snooping. For now she’d have to slink back to her apartment and see who had entered it. Or at least to tease that old landlady.

Spying on Eve had been stopped for nothing. No one was waiting for Oksana when she entered, and no one was hiding in any of her other rooms. That stupid landlady had been worried for nothing, and Oksana had half a mind to march her way to that woman’s apartment and scream and yell and make a whole ordeal of the situation. But, instead, she settled for opening a new bottle of wine and pouring herself a glass. It’d been a long day, what with the murder and then seeing someone from your past. She deserved to unwind.

As she laid down on the couch and sipped on her wine, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned, but a fist wrapped itself around her hair and pulled her to the floor. Oksana shrieked as she felt her face hit the cold, hardwood floors of her apartment. The attacker laughed and slammed Oksana’s face into the ground once more before pulling away from her victim. A knife unsheathed itself from Oksana’s boot, and she placed it against her attacker’s throat.

“Oh, sweet friend. You would never hurt ol’ Olga, would you?” The Hulk of a woman stuck her lip out to mock a pout. God, she was annoying. And ugly. Oksana wished that they’d sent someone she had actually liked.

“Why are you here? I thought you only ran security at the manors,” Her eyes flickered with confusion just for a moment, but it was enough for Olga to take advantage of it. One moment Oksana had the knife pressed against Olga, and the next it was laying yards away from her and her hair rested in Olga’s hand once again.

“You really should get it shaved,” Olga chuckled as she used her other hand to point at her freshly buzzed head. “Makes situations like this a lot less possible.”

“Oh, shut up!” Oksana hissed and squirmed so she faced the massive woman, “Why are you here?”

“You are sloppy.” The words caused Oksana to roll her eyes, but that just caused another slam into the floorboards. She could feel blood starting to ooze from a new wound. “It was supposed to be an in-and-out job! Nothing big!”

“It wasn’t that big!”   
“Then what was that big written gesture for that little creature you used to stalk, hm?” Spit was shot into her face, and Oksana tried to shake it off as Olga continued to speak, “You said you were over her! You said you never would contact her again!”

“I just wanted everyone to know I’m back for good,” She ventured, “Some people tend to like the finesse I bring to my job. That’s what keeps our clients coming back.”

“Seemed to me the only person you were trying to bring back was that Asian woman.”

“Is her race really pertinent to this?” She got slapped for that, but she laughed. “I won’t do something like that again, okay? One time thing! No more! I just like to make a spectacle sometimes. That should satisfy the craving.”   
“It better. I’d be disappointed to tell Agniya that all her hard work was for nothing.” Oksana’s eyes lowered to the bloody floorboards as the name of her former coworker sprung up. “I mean, what she had to do? Pretty demeaning. But all for you. And you’d be really letting her down if you were brought back to the manor.”

“You know I wouldn’t want that,” The pleading in Oksana’s voice was new, but she knew that the threat of going back was ever real.

“I know,” Olga sighed and let go of Oksana’s hair. She sighed and rubbed her scalp as she spoke, “I am a good, Catholic woman though. I can forgive sometimes, don’t you know? So I’ll let this ordeal pass.”

“Thank you, Olga.”   
“And anyway, Agniya is much more fun when she’s happy.” Oksana faked a laugh at this. If that poor girl had to put up with this monstrous woman having sex with her, then Oksana could put up with her the few times they met. She’d repay Agniya one day for giving her another chance to meet with Eve.

Olga lifted her hand as if to smack her, and Oksana flinched away. The large woman laughed and pointed at the assassin's cowardice. She then headed towards the door and slipped out, but not before barking one more warning.

“I won’t hesitate to send you back to the manor, Oksana. I won’t care what tricks Agniya pulls off if you do something that puts our whole organization in danger. You better understand that for the next time I’m back with your new assignment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is shorter! Had to squeeze it out between shifts at work! Holiday season is crazy, amiright?


	3. Burnt Pancakes and Cherry Tomatoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve fails at making a good breakfast. We learn more about the history of Eve and Niko. Eve’s old team reunites.

Smoke filled the kitchen as Eve shrieked and put out the fire that was at one point a pancake in the shape of a heart. Or at least a poorly shaped heart. She covered the pan she’d been cooking in with a lid, and the fire soon went out. The windows were shoved open in a sad attempt to get the haze out of the kitchen, and Eve shivered as the cold, winter wind blew in. Niko came stomping down the stairs and rubbed his eyes sleepily.

“Is my wife trying to commit arson? Right after the police were around so late last night?” He chuckled as she rubbed her arms to try and warm herself. Her brow was furrowed in frustration, and she angrily gestured at the stovetop.

“I wanted to make you pancakes to make up for last night, but I guess I can’t even do that!”

“We still have leftovers from last night. Let’s just have that,” He opened the fridge and pulled out the pyrex dish of cold goulash. He pried the lid off and stirred the mixture with a grin, “You want this cold or hot?”

“Let me heat them up,” Eve took the dish from her husband, and he took a seat at the table as she stood by the microwave. The smoke had finally dissipated, but neither Eve nor Niko were willing to close the window despite the chill. Niko was scrolling through Facebook on his phone, and Eve watched him with a bored look on her face. She wasn’t the biggest fan of social media since the only thing it seemed to connect her with were relatives trying to put on airs about their shitty lives. Everyone could see through the obvious facade but always pretended not to. It was aggravating. 

Niko laughed and lifted up his phone to reveal a photo of his cousin Mindy, “She and Tom are pregnant again!”

“Isn’t that like their seventh kid?” As Catholic as Mindy and Tom were, they seemed to really enjoy sex and popped out a new baby every year of their marriage. But Niko’s whole lineage produced dozens of new litters of Polastris, Niko himself have seven other siblings. He opened his mouth to say something, but the microwaves beeping interrupted him. Eve scooped the goulash into separate bowls before handing one off to her husband. “Guess we’ll have to take the train and visit them. They still live in the same place?”

“Yes.” There was a pause in conversation as Eve began munching on her food. Niko’s goulash, despite being a complete bastard from the traditional recipe, was absolutely delicious. She didn’t even realize he hadn’t taken a bite of his until she’d scraped her bowl clean. He reached across the table and took her hand gently, a hopeful look shining from his eyes, “Eve…”

“Please,” Eve said, her heart growing heavier and heavier as she tried to stop him from saying the usual age-old question. Maybe this time he wouldn’t ask. Maybe this time he wouldn’t bring up such an old wound. Maybe this time he wouldn’t force her to explain herself. “Don’t.”

“It’s been over ten years. And we’ve mourned her for so long,” Niko ventured as he clutched Eve’s hand, “Let’s have a baby. Not by accident, but by choice.”

“I can’t,” Eve said and closed her eyes, her head sinking.

“Eve-”

“I know she’s gone, but it-” She knew it sounded ridiculous that she still felt this way, but Eve knew that she just couldn’t get over it. Her baby. Her beautiful baby she’d gotten pregnant with on accident, her beautiful baby that had convinced her to marry Niko. Her beautiful baby who’d passed away in her sleep, and the only explanation the doctor provided was SIDs. “We only knew her for three months. And Mary was my whole world. I feel like having another baby would just be… Replacing Mary.”

“I know it’s hard,” Niko said as he rubbed his thumb against her palm, “But we deserve a second chance. What happened to Mary was a tragedy, but that doesn’t mean it’ll happen to her sibling. And we’ll be more watchful and we’ll monitor their heartbeat and-”

“I don’t want another baby.” Eve’s voice was stern as she pulled her hand away. Her eyes opened to see Niko’s face holding a torn look on his face. They’d only got married in the first place because of Mary, and since Mary was gone it was mainly just because they’d mourned together. They knew each other’s pain better than anyone else would. But he still insisted on trying for another despite Eve abjecting every time.

“But-”

“And anyway, a pregnancy would just get in the way of my new job.”

“Oh?” He crossed his arms across his chest and glared down at his bowl of untouched goulash. “So you decided to take up Carolyn’s offer?”

“No, actually I’m a bagger at Walmart,” She teased, but Niko’s frustrated face made her drop the joking, “Yes. I did.”

“Even after all you’ve been put through by that psycho you’re hunting?” His hand swept up to clutch at his hair, “Damn it, Eve! They said that you there was a chance you wouldn’t have been able to walk again! And now you’re risking her coming back and finishing her job for what?”

“I need to stop her to keep-”   
“Oh  _ you  _ need to stop her!” He threw his hands up, “Well, how wonderful that you’re the smartest former police officer! How wonderful that you’re the only one who can perform such a dangerous job! Hats off to you, you-”

A knock at the door interrupted Niko’s rant from exploding into a silent treatment. He moved to stand up, but Eve told him she’d get the door. Even if it was only to get away from the tense air in that room. She shut the windows on her way to the door, and when she opened it she was met with a couple of her old colleagues from her former investigation on Villanelle. Her somber face erupted into a smile when she saw them.

“Look who’s still dressed in her pajamas at ten in the morning,” Bill said with a grin as he greeted Eve with a hug. Elena popped in between them with a smile brighter than the sun and pushed forward a plastic tray with an excited energy.

“Wouldn’t be a reunion without a veggie tray!” There weren’t many veggies in that tray at all. There were cherry tomatoes and a few carrots, but it seemed that everything else hadn’t been stocked. “My girlfriend was hangry this morning so I let her snack on it before I dropped her off at work. Obviously she was quite famished.”

“No kidding,” Eve laughed, and she stepped aside to let them enter her home. The pair looked around the familiar entrance with a nervous excitement. Investigating together was always fun, but with such high stakes they couldn’t help but fear that they’d catch Villanelle lurking somewhere waiting to pounce.

“Walls are yellow now,” Elena said and gestured at the newly painted walls. Niko walked in and fired a curt wave at the new pair. “And Niko’s grown a mustache!”

“Crazy, huh?” He smiled before stepping close to Eve and whispering, “Gretchen called off so I have to go in. We’re not done talking.”   
“Well, we better head up to the attic to restart the investigation.” Eve said and nudged Niko away. He headed out the door, and Eve guided her team up the old stairs into the freezing attic. Her and Niko had always talked about extending the heating into the attic to make it a new guest room, but they never got up to it. Instead it had become the headquarters of the Villanelle investigation, and boxes upon boxes were stacked all around the room. Here and there sat bags of evidence containing maybe a stray knife or piece of torn cloth.

“I’ll start searching here, Elena can search over at the far end, and Eve you can search over by the window,” Bill designated. This had been his investigation in the first place. Eve had just been someone whose assistance he’d wanted, but it all got messy so fast. But that’s how it was with Villanelle. Things that were neat got turned into a disaster, and when you wanted it to be taken down a notch, it got bumped up three more.

Dust blanketed the lid of the box Eve’s hands traced. Its side was simply marked: “ATTEMPTED MURDER-- EVE POLASTRI”. It was peculiar that this was the first box she was drawn to, but she stood transfixed at the letters on the side. They repeated in her head over and over and over again. Attempted murder. Attempted murder. Attempted murder. How could her name follow such a harsh pair of words? 

Inside the box were several files, but she knew that the pictures of that bloody scene rested inside them. Instead of pulling any of those out, she pulled an evidence bag out. Inside it was a blood-covered, teal mitten. A mitten she had knitted herself. The label on the bag told her that the mitten had belonged to Villanelle because her skin cells were found inside it, but that stitch pattern was hers. Eve’s heart quickened as she pressed the bag into her lap, and she began to practice her breathing exercises to keep calm. One breath in, one breath out.

“Are you going to be alright?” Eve was shocked out of her thoughts as Bill set a kind hand on her shoulder.

“Yes, yes. I’ll be alright.” She quickly put the glove back in the box and shut the lid before pulling forth a different box. It was labelled: “MURDER-- GIOVANNI DEMAGGIO”.

“You don’t have to do this if you’re not ready,” He ventured, “With everything that happened, I don’t think I’d be doing this if I was in your footsteps.”

“No, it’s okay,” She spoke with a small smile as Bill took a seat next to her and pulled out a few files for Eve, “It’s going to be different this time. I know it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s been a while! I’ve been having a really hard time but look! I did it! I posted a new chapter! Hope you guys enjoy :-)


	4. Cursive in Dirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve and Bill check out a crime scene at one of London’s best country clubs. Eve finds new signs that tell her that Villanelle wants to make contact again.

Villanelle wasn’t joking that she was back; her first murder was only the beginning of countless other assassinations. Eve found herself having to eat in many airport restaurants with Bill and Elena, and as much as she enjoyed travel, it made her gunshot wound ache. She was also starting to get annoyed at having to hear Bill snore when she sat next to him on the plane. If only Villanelle would stick to one street, that would make this so much easier. Today would be an easy day though, what with the murder being just outside of London and not three countries over.

“You think they’ll let us check out their spa?” Bill pondered as he and Eve slowly approached the location of Villanelle’s latest victim: the owner of London’s most private, expensive country club. He hadn’t skimped on any construction of this place. Marble floors and gold this and gold that. It was so gaudy it made Eve want to go and volunteer at a homeless shelter.

“Is it wrong to feel kinda glad this guy is dead?” Eve asked with a guilty expression, pausing setting her cane down on the next step to look at her colleague. Bill just laughed at her question. The pair neared a man dressed almost as extravagantly as the club, and he held his hand out for each of them to take a turn shaking.

“I’m Mitch McDaniels, new owner of this club,” He spoke before gesturing towards an entryway, “The dining room has been cleared of all guests and staff, so it’ll just be you two and the rest of the police. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have a board meeting to attend to. It’s a shame William died, but I must carry on with business.”

“A board meeting? Didn’t Mr. Richards die like a couple hours ago?” Bill said with a glance to Eve. “I’m sure the board would be willing to reschedule with the circumstances.”

“Oh no,” Mitch McDaniels laughed, “I arranged it myself. Want to make sure everyone is in agreement with my new policies. Did you know that William refused to expand this place? Do you know how much money we could make if we made this place a little more public? Or maybe branched out and established new clubs? We’d be billionaires!”

“Have you left your number with the police?” Eve said and aimed her cane towards a trio of cops walking out of the dining room. “They might want to talk with you later about what happened.”   
“I did,” He waved at the police and they smiled and waved back, “Food is on the house right now, and if you come back next week and show your badge, then you can get a week of free membership.”

“Isn’t that just handy?” Eve muttered and Bill nudged her. Couldn’t let their suspicions be too obvious or else they could have a runner. They’d had to learn that the hard way during their first few investigations the last time they’d done this case. They said their goodbyes to Mitch McDaniels before heading into the dining room. All the crime scenes after the first weren’t as bloody as that original statement, and this one was no exception. Chairs were tossed about here and there, but that was just a sign of chaos from the witnesses rather than a product of Villanelle.

Carolyn and Kenny were already standing beside the body as Eve and Bill reached them. Kenny had her camera lifted up and the flash from it was bright enough to rival the sun, but Carolyn soon prodded her and she set her camera down.

“Bill, Eve.” Carolyn said with a nod to each of them. Eve leaned against her cane and nodded back. She looked over at Kenny who looked shyly down, obviously still embarrassed about their original meeting.

“So, what screams ‘Villanelle!’ with this one?” Bill said and emphasized the assassin's name with lavish jazz hands. Carolyn cleared her throat, and Kenny handed Bill a beautifully decorated cigar box.

“She rolled cigars for the gentlemen at this table,” Carolyn said before gesturing at the box, “And Mr. Richard’s cigar was laced with a high amount of rat poison. Not five minutes after he had been smoking it did he start complaining about chest pains and a abdominal cramps. They called an ambulance, but he collapsed to the floor and died before it could get here.”

“So do we have witnesses who can confirm it was her?” Eve asked and pointed back to where they’d originally come from, “‘Cause we have that police sketch of her in the car if-”

“She disguised herself as one of the servers,” Kenny piped up, “The people who would have seen her said they weren’t paying her any mind. All they can remember about her was that she had blonde hair.”

“It’s got to be her though, right?” Eve said with individual looks to each of them. “I mean, who else would murder in such a public place? A normal assassin would murder somewhere in private. Also, how many female assassins are there in Europe?”

“Next to none.” Carolyn spoke. Eve looked down at the body of William Richards. He wore an Italian suit now covered in his own bloody vomit, and he reeked of death. She considered maybe taking some of her perfume and spraying it to try to cover the scent, but she thought that may have been a little disrespectful to him.

“I suppose we’ve got what we need,” Bill said and clapped his hands together, “Let’s let the mortician take him away and get going ourselves, eh?”

“Eve, can you stay back a moment?” Carolyn spoke as the pair turned to head back to the car. Oh, God. Not another heart to heart again. Everyone was always bringing up the fact that she’d been shot and that she didn't have to do this if she wanted to. She didn’t have to spend all her time traversing around Europe trying to find a world renowned assassin. But she wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to.

“Yes?”

“Has Elena sorted through all of your team’s files yet? I’m having Kenny deliver these new photos to her.”

“Um, yes,” Eve spoke, caught off guard. Actual work talk. Huh. What a change of pace. “She’s categorized everything in chronological order and has some cases more prioritized than others and-”

“So you’ve found everything you need.”

“Yes, it was all still up in the attic.”

“Did you ever look at them after the whole incident?” The question made Eve think of Villanelle’s letters. The white envelopes creased with how often she’d clutched them to herself. How her face flushed when she read every cursive letter complimenting her, describing her, wanting her. How she flushed now as Carolyn asked about something she didn’t know about, something she hoped Carolyn would never learn about.

“Sometimes,” She ventured, hoping that would sate her boss’s hunger.

“I think you’re almost as obsessed with her as she is with you,” Carolyn said waving a hand at her, “The fact that you’re even here despite everything proves it.”

“I don’t stalk her.”

“You don’t think this investigation is the legal form of it?” Carolyn said with an accusing stare, “I just want you to remember that this isn’t your little revenge fantasy. This man, Mr. Richards, is dead because of her. There are countless people dead because of her. This isn’t just about you and the damage you’ve taken.”

After this statement, Carolyn walked past her and out of the dining room. The corpse on the floor was Eve’s only company, and she could only wish it would raise itself up to be a sympathetic ear for her plight. There he laid: dead on the floor with a pointed finger over his pointing away. How curious. Eve followed the guidance of that hand towards the back of the room and a few meters away from the door of the kitchen. Villanelle must have fled this way once she’d successfully poisoned Mr. Richards.

Taking a seat on the floor beside a potted plant and laying her cane next to her, Eve placed her head on her knees. Villanelle was back, yes, but was that a good thing? They’d end up catching her and this whole dance would be over forever. She’d have to go back to her life before that assassin entered her life. Maybe she’d keep working with Bill and Carolyn on other cases, but would she ever be able to after one like this? One with Villanelle?

A dish crashed in the kitchen, and Eve’s head darted towards the source of the sound. Something in the potted plant beside her caught her eye more so than that. Her fingers pushed aside some of the dirt and mulch to pull out a dirty, white envelope. A breath caught in her throat as she read the label on it: “To My Heart, From Your Villanelle”. Heartstrings had never pulled as strongly as they did when Eve placed that dirt covered letter against her heart. She laughed and smiled and clutched it like a child would a new doll. 

“What is taking you so long?” Bill called as his steps echoed across the dining room. In one swift motion, Eve had shoved the letter into her pocket. Reading it would take time, and with Bill around she wouldn’t have any to herself. She grasped her cane and moved to stand up as her coworker came into sight.

“Sorry, sorry,” She said with a wince.

“It’s flaring up again?” He grimaced and helped her up before steering her towards the exit. She nodded curtly and laid a hand on her pocket. Villanelle would have to wait until she got home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is my favorite!!! I can’t wait for you guys to read it :-)


	5. Curl Within Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve reads her newest letter from Villanelle.

* * *

The bubbles in the tub grew higher and higher, but Eve just kept adding more of the rose-scented soap. She wanted to smell as if she rolled down a hill lined in rose bushes and then smothered to death by a perfume saleswoman. When she rubbed her hands on her robe to dry them off, she was met with a delicately plush fabric that made her want to stay in the steamy room forever. The letter that she’d found at the country club rested in her left pocket, and the slight bump it caused in her robe sent tingles down her spine.

A knock at the door awoke her from her daydreaming, and when Eve opened it Niko stood waiting for her. He smiled shyly at her and handed her a bottle of wine and a glass to go with it before saying, “Dr. Lee doesn’t know everything, right?”

“Damn right she doesn’t.” Her hands quickly moved to open the bottle and smell its contents. God, she loved wine. Niko still stood there, not fleeing to his office or the living room to watch a show alone. They hadn’t really talked since the whole him asking her to have a kid again, her revealing she was working again. The tension between them today was different than the usual bitterness, however.

“I… I wanted to apologize,” He finally spoke up, shoving his hands in his pockets and clearing his throat, “I know how you feel about Mary and I know it’s still difficult. I really shouldn’t have tried to bring it up.”

“Again,” Eve muttered, and Niko laughed awkwardly.

“Yeah. Again.” Another empty apology from a long line of them. Niko could be so kind and so sweet, but, God, he could be so fucking stupid. Well, Eve supposed she was too since she always let the lame excuses slide.

“And I’m sorry I didn’t support you going back to your old job,” He spoke again to break the silence, “I would’ve been fine if you’d gotten any other job, it’s just the history with it. With Villanelle. I was just… being cautious. You understand right?”

He was always a cautious fellow. Making sure she had a ride home after her father’s funeral, making sure she had someone to talk about during her grieving, making sure she was taking her prenatal vitamins during her pregnancy despite her hating every minute of it. Always there for her when she needed him most but wanted him least. “It’s just your nature.”

“Well!” He smiled and clapped his hands together, “I suppose I shouldn’t let your bath cool down for you! Have fun in there. And, please, don’t drink all that wine at once.”

“Can’t promise anything!” She laughed, and he laughed too, and all was normal again. Happy husband, alright wife. The door shut as he walked away, and Eve turned back to her bathtub. Her fabric shell floated to the floor, and as she stepped towards the tub, she caught her eye in the mirror.

That bullet wound forever scarring her hip and being a constant reminder of how foolish she could be. The whole ordeal with Villanelle always sat at the back of her mind, replaying the scene over and over again. Eve pulling out the gun, Villanelle wrestling her for it, Eve getting shot. And the blood, that stupid fucking blood constantly sticking to her thoughts like it had stuck to her thighs and hands. That cursed bullet had hit some major vessels and nerves, and it left her with a limp and pitied gazes from everyone. Before the shooting, only people who knew Eve knew the damage she held, with the loss of her father and then child. But now it seemed everyone knew her traumas.

She reached down and pulled Villanelle’s letter out of her robe, and lowered herself gently into the warm bubbles of her bath. Its untouched seam beckoned for her to dig a finger in, and Eve gladly obliged. The familiar perfume,  _ La Villanelle _ , wafted up from its opening, and despite the suffocating scent of rose surrounding her, Eve seemed to smell only it. Her hands slowly pulled out the letter, and it stood out in front of her, almost as naked as she was. As she began to read, she imagined Villanelle sitting beside her tub, reading this letter in her strong Russian accent.

“My heart, Eve,

It has been a while, hasn’t it, my sweet treat? Have you yearned for me as much as I have for you? Every word I have spoken for five years now I have regretted because they have not been to you. Yes, I have pleaded and I have prayed, even though I am not a religious woman, for the chance to speak with you. A mere ‘hello’ or ‘fuck you’ would be crystal clear water for the Sahara that are my ears.

“I have seen you and watched you, and I’m sure that you’ve been closely watching me. Did you enjoy my rebirth into this world? My father used to say that I tore my mother apart when I was born, and I think I just may have done that again with that poor man. There’s no need to play coy around a corpse; I know you relished in the fact that I was back. That I wanted you to know that I was back. Is it strange to realize that I want you as much as you want me?

“Because there’s nothing I desire in this world more than you. Your wonderful mane could drown me in its curls and I would still utter a ‘thank you’ for giving me the privilege of touching you. Not only do I want to feel you under my fingers, but I want you to feel me. Do you remember our first meeting? You knew who I was, the things I’d done, and yet you still let me flash you a coquettish smile before playing with me all night. I let you trace your velvet fingers where others had been unsuccessful, place your lips where others had neglected, made me moan like none other had before.

“Oh yes, I’d had others before, Anna and the like, but none had heard of my crimes and still wanted me until you. If you could still want me now after what I have learned. Maybe it was unfair that I told you tales from my life none other had heard, but you refused to tell me one from yours. Maybe it was unfair that you only wanted to listen and not to share. In any case, I know you now, know who you really are. So I know that you have no plaything to let whisper to you, but I also have found no one to whisper to. Let me come and nestle in your lap and whisper to you every secret I know so that you may curl within me and entwine yourself to me.

“I don’t write this letter to just make your cheeks flush and you itch so familiarly. No, I meant what I said when I wrote that I yearn for you. Although it would be too dangerous right now for us to meet up, I still want us to have correspondence like before. My sweetest pet, I will be leaving a special present for you at that old country club you got this letter from. Please swap it for a letter to me, and I shall write to you again and again and again. My body aches for the day we can collide again, but we must settle for this now. Not just for my safety, but for yours. My associates would not be pleased to know we’re in contact again since I am such a good worker.

“The wait for your letter will feel like centuries on my part, but I know it will be worth it. 

“Your Villanelle”

 

Eve flew out of the tub and dried off quickly once she’d finished the letter, hiding it under the sink with all of her previous letters. She threw on her robe, grabbed her cane, and hobbled to Niko’s office. She planted herself on top of his desk, and she scanned him with a hungry look in her eyes.

“Wanna have sex?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you for leaving me with 69 kudoses last chapter. Maybe someday we’ll hit 420. Wouldn’t that be funny! 
> 
> Second off, I know you may think this letter would be too touchy feely to be villanelle, but what do you think were in her letters to Anna? “Wanted to kill a guy for being an asshole”? No! Villanelle was completely enamored with that woman, so of course she’d write such over embellished letters to her lovers.
> 
> Thank you again for all your kind words. I know I don’t respond to everyone’s comments, but do know that I read and cherish every single one I receive.


	6. Pills in Your Bra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Villanelle meets with Olga and gets another assignment.

Nothing satisfied Villanelle quite like the letters from Eve she received after one of her jobs. The cursive signature at the bottoms of those papers was enough to cause her hands to wander below her belt, much less the contents of those letters. Eve had quite a way with words, and each description of how her clothing draped on her or how her thighs curved in the tight dresses Villanelle sent her or how her pussy tasted according to her husband. Villanelle had killed quite a few more people in the past months and wasn’t planning on stopping any time soon; every crime scene set up an exchange of letters or gifts or, God bless, photographs.

Her hand twitched a little as she thought of some of the photos she and Eve had shared, and this slight gesture was enough to prick her finger on the sewing machine's needle. She’d been sewing a lot of clothes for Eve, and she felt satisfied knowing that the dresses and shirts and pants that she had rubbed her hands all over were now rubbing on the body of her pen pal. Oh She was never negligent in her sewing, but Eve was a real distraction. What a fun hazard: the image of a nude woman. Villanelle stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked the blood out, imagining Eve sucking it instead, and hummed in delight at the thought.

She stood from the table and headed to the kitchen, pulling a first aid kit from below the sink and wrapped a little band aid over her little wound. A quick flick of her wrist and the drawer containing all of Eve’s letters flew open, and Villanelle shuffled through the pile with a coy smile on her face. The dress she was crafting now was just about done, and it was likely that she’d get another assignment in the next few days. She knew she should stay focused and finish it up and not get distracted. But would it be so bad to rub one out real quick?

As her feet led her to the couch and her hands found themselves in her pants, a knock sounded at the door. She rolled her eyes, and let her hands find her clit. It was probably her landlady again; that little old lady was always asking for her to pick up some groceries or to help her take the trash out. Annoying creature. The knock sounded again.

“This better be important!” Villanelle yelled as she stomped towards the door. The nerve of that lady. She slammed the door open and the rage in her face shrank as Olga stood in front of her with a glare as cold as Medusa’s.

“You didn’t answer right away,” the woman barked, entering the apartment with a sweeping glance about the room.

“I was masturbating.”

“You do that too much,” Olga chuckled and shook her finger, “You’re not gonna be able to feel down there one of these days. Overuse.”

“You party pooper,” Villanelle said and stuck her tongue out. Some days the two could get along, despite the threat of returning to the manor ever lingering. Maybe if she was good enough of a worker she could have Agniya pulled out from that hellhole, and they could get Eve and escape this whole place. Maybe they could go somewhere where it was nice year round and they could eat mango all day.

“I have another assignment for you,” Olga spoke, reminding Villanelle that her dreams were just that: dreams. Her smile faltered a moment, but then it brightened again.

“How about we get ice cream?” She jumped to her feet and bounced in excitement like a child. Olga groaned and leaned her ugly head backwards.

“Why would I buy you ice cream when I could just give you your assignment here? Hm?” The woman rumbled, her voice irritated.

“Because I’m your favorite assassin and also because I’ll be paying?”

They ended up getting frozen yogurt instead of ice cream since her supervisor didn’t want to walk the extra block to get to the ice cream place. The pair sat on a bench in the park across the street from the little shop, and they feasted in their treats. Villanelle got strawberry frozen yogurt with liquid dark chocolate drizzled on top of with a few marshmallows sprinkled on top as well.

“We should have gotten ice cream,” She huffed and set her frozen yogurt beside her.

“This  _ is  _ ice cream.”

“No, it’s not. It’s gross.”

“I am not going with you to the next store,” Olga growled and shoved the frozen yogurt back in Villanelle’s hands, “You have been a very, very good girl. Haven’t even tried to contact Eve again. No blood smeared on walls, no guts arranged in her name, no secret flowers delivered to her house.”

“I mean, it was a pretty romantic gesture.”

“The blood?”  
“The flowers, obviously, dumbass,” Villanelle said and shoveled a scoop of the frozen yogurt into her mouth. Poor, stupid Olga still didn’t know that she and Eve were in correspondence once again. She wished she could gloat and laugh in that woman’s face, but she knew if she did she’d get a punch to the jaw.

“Here,” Olga handed her a postcard with the info about the next kill on it, “This needs to be done within the next few days, so be quick.”

And quick she was, gaining contact with her target that very night. She scouted him out in a bar three towns over from his own, a politician feeling guilty that he was trying to seek someone out to cheat on his wife of thirty-eight years with. He was older, and a little portly, and very sweaty. The clothes he wore were too tight and smelled too strongly of the cologne he used to cover the underlying scent of his body odor. Villanelle had worn a short, form-fitting dress and sidled up beside him in the bar, and soon lured him into her web.

In the motel room she had got him to pay for, she stood at the desk and readied her box for Eve. This was a tight space, and she wish she’d chose instead to kill him on the street. If only there hadn’t been that hot dog vendor, that bastard. Her new victim sat at the end of the bed behind her, and he muddled with his hands and watched her shyly.

“What are you doing?” He asked nodding at the box she hid behind herself as she turned to look at him.

“Gift for friend,” She said placing a hand on his shoulder. He twitched when she touched him, almost afraid, “I can go find someone else if you don’t want to do this.”

“No, no, I want to do this,” He said and snuck a hand around to grasp Villanelle’s butt. Her eye twitched, and she had to remind herself that there were other pairs in the rooms next door, and that this needed to be quick and quiet. She reached into her bra and pulled out a bottle of pills, and her victim recoiled from her once again. “What are you doing?”  
“Just a little something to give you more energy,” She leaned in and pressed her mouth against his ear. He shivered as she breathed, “I want you to fuck me all night, and I can’t have you taking any breaks.”

He took the pills in an instant, and she pulled herself across his lap, lightly biting his neck as he fondled at her ass. Suddenly, her victim’s pills finally kicked in, and he clutched his chest. Villanelle watched him struggle to try and plea for her to call an ambulance, and once he died she left. A smile rested on her face as she anticipated the letter she would receive in return from Eve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah! An update! How crazy!


	7. International Lamp Workers Conference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve and Niko host a party for a few friends. Eve receives an unexpected house call.

The taste of a gin and tonic sat in Eve's mouth, and she smiles dryly as Niko’s work friend, Gemma, told another story about her cat. Another sip of her drink, and the bitter liquid led to a bitter glance at her phone. God, their guests had been here for three hours not including all of dinner. She had agreed to do this under the assumption that she’d have the time to run to a McDonalds to eat something better than Niko’s bland Shepherd's pie, but it seemed like she’d have to raid the pantry instead.

Her husband grasped her hand without looking at her, fiddling with the ring on her finger. She knew he was hoping he’d get lucky tonight, what with all his dopey smiles and kind touches. It made her sick to her stomach that he could be so nice after how she treated him. After how she still treated him. The only thing that had changed in her attitude towards him was how often she let him fuck her. And also the fact that she finally let him get some chickens for the house. 

“But it was Mr. Whiskers who had knocked over the urn!” Gemma ended her long, overly drawn out story. Laughter spread across the room like butter on toast, but Eve simply smiled and stood up from her seat beside Niko.

“Wonderful story, Gemma,” She spoke and picked up her now empty glass, “Anyone else want a refill?”

However Eve did not wait for an answer from anyone, and she hobbled to the kitchen to pour herself more drinks. A chicken wandered around in the kitchen having had moved from its home in the back mud room, and Eve gingerly maneuvered around it to place her used glass in the sink. She could wash it later or even convince Niko to do it instead. A simple bottle of Merlot caught her eye; that delightful drink had been her go to for all events like this.

“Need any help, darling?” A familiar hand placed itself onto her shoulder, and Eve turned to look at her husband. Expecting to find an amused face after he’d been having such a successful party, Eve was surprised to see only worry.

“What?”

“I just thought with how curt you were with them that maybe your leg was acting up again. Do you want me to grab your cane for you?” His face only saddened more and more as he spoke, and Eve’s heart sunk. Why did he always blame her sour attitudes on that wound?

“I just wish I could have invited my friends,” Eve said and grabbed a wine glass from one of the cabinets above her. As she poured herself a drink, Niko leaned against the counter and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve been wanting to meet Elena’s girlfriend, and you like Bill and his wife.”

“I thought we’d agreed to reduce work talk.”

“This isn’t work talk!” Eve burst before lowering her voice so their guests wouldn’t hear, “They don’t just talk about Villanelle all the time, Niko, they have lives outside their jobs. Fun, interesting lives.”

“Then why don’t you?” Niko snapped back. Both of their jaws dropped in shock, and Eve pointed at Niko and backed away from him. He followed after her, his arms reaching to hold her, but she shook her hands to push him away. “Please, sweetheart, I didn’t mean that. I just miss you. Come back to the party, please.”

Her feet lead her upstairs, and she was glad that she didn’t hear Niko’s footsteps follow after her. After a moment of contemplation, Eve chose that going to bed early was a better option than a long soak in the tub, and she fell onto the bed like a man off a bridge. Her hands ran on the old, pilled sheets which they hadn’t replaced in years, and a familiar guilt grew in her heart.

She didn’t deserve Niko. She knew this. Every emotion he felt she snubbed and ignored, and as of late the only place they didn’t argue was in bed. She’d lay their as he’d have his fun, and then he’d hold her and she’d imagine it was someone else. Someone with long, blonde hair. Someone with an incredibly sexy Russian accent. Someone who actually knew what made her orgasm rather than just fucking her in missionary and hoping it got her off too.

A knock sounded at the front door, and Eve strained to listen as she heard the door open. Did Niko really have more guests over? Had he ordered her Indian since she was pouting?

“Is Eve home?” It was Carolyn. Eve shot up out of bed and grabbed her cane before hobbling as quickly as she could down the stairs. A few times she almost slipped, but that didn’t matter. Carolyn meant Villanelle, and Villanelle meant another letter.

“She’s up-“ Niko began before turning to see Eve beside him breathless, “She’s right here! Eve, your coworkers wanted to speak with you.”

“What’s up?” The door shut behind her as she stepped out on the porch, but no one answered. Their eyes all rested at their own feet, and their hands fumbled with themselves awkwardly. “Hey, Niko wouldn’t let me invite you guys over. Bill, you know you and your wife are always welcome here, and Elena I really wanted to meet your girlfriend and-”

“Oh, you know her,” Elena spoke up, making eye contact momentarily, “You remember Kenny, right?”

“Kenny the crime scene photographer?”

“That wasn’t how we met though,” Elena said to defend herself, “We met at an international lamp working conference and we just really hit it off. I can’t believe you didn’t know, I thought it was obvious.”

“No! You always-“

“Hem hem,” Carolyn cleared her throat and looked at each of them in turn to silence them. “Remember why we’re here.”

“And that is…?” Eve ventured, and her boss shuffled with a glance towards the town car she’d drove the others here in. Ah, so that’s how Carolyn was going to play this. The long, silent game. Expecting her to follow like a loyal dog and grovel at every opportunity she got to stand in the same room Villanelle had once stood in. She was sick of it. “Tell me or else I’m going right back in.”

“There’s been another murder,” Bill said, “An English politician who’s very anti Irish checked in at a rather seedy motel with a woman that matched Villanelle’s description. Poisoned him with drugs she hid as Viagra.”

“Okay, so we head to the scene,” Eve spread her hands out, “No different than any other Villanelle murder. Why the quiet mood tonight? No jokes about the Viagra, like come on.”

“Are you going to tell her? Because I can’t,” Elena said with a shake of her head. She stomped off to the car and sat in the back with her head in her hands. Eve’s heart sunk. Something had to be up if Elena wasn’t willing to joke about the bizarreness of the victim’s death. Bill set his hand on Eve’s shoulder and gave her a shy smile before following Elena’s path.

“There was something unusual found at the scene,” Carolyn said and took a seat on the front steps. She held a hand out and helped Eve lower herself down gently beside the older woman. “Well, I mean other than the obvious things like the murder and what not. This was more peculiar than that. There was a wrapped box addressed to you. Do you want to know what was inside it?”

“What?” Her voice was barely a hoarse whisper, and her stomach felt as if it was at the back of her throat. The other woman’s face was stone cold, and this only heightened the adrenaline in Eve’s blood. God, what she’d give to be back in that boring party right now rather than in this state of fear.

“A dress with no tags, and fitting no brand. Designed by Villanelle herself and crafted for you,” The stone cold gaze met Eve’s eyes, and a new venom filled them. “And a letter was in the folds of this dress. Talking about how lovely your last correspondence was and requesting more… nude photos in exchange for the ones she included.”

“Carolyn, I can explain-”

“Please do then!” Carolyn squinted her eyes at Eve, “Please explain why the Hell you would go behind the back of MI6, of me, to exchange nudies with the assassin you’re supposed to be catching. Nonetheless, the assassin who broke into your house and shot you while you laid in bed.”

“I-I-I…” But there were no words Eve could say to defend herself. The truth would just land her in hot water, and any lies would quickly be caught. She was trapped under her boss’s merciless, green eyes and there was no getting out. Why did she have to fuck Villanelle? Why did she have to keep correspondence after? Why did she have to love the way Villanelle made her feel? Why did she even try to imagine a future with that assassin? Why couldn’t she settle for normal?

“When you’re done with a marriage you do something normal like cut your hair and get a divorce, you do not-“ Her voice caught she raised her hands in exasperation, “My daughter could have found you a lovely girl! Kenny is good at spotting them, she found such a good catch with Elena-“

“Kenny’s your daughter?”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Carolyn hissed and pointed at Eve, “I’m not letting you pull the rug from underneath me again. You’re fired. And you’re lucky I’m not having you charged because I swear there could be a hundred things I could charge you with. I could make you rot in a cell if I wanted.”

“Then why don’t you?” Her question must have shocked Carolyn, for she blinked quickly and her mouth opened slowly as she prepared her rebuttal.

“In lamp working, there’s all sorts of big tools you can buy. There’s fancy kinds of stamps and special little cones to try and shape things, but the tools that makes the most minute details best? Simple tweezers. Such a minute little thing you could pick up at the dollar store, and yet here it is crafting the most ornate creations anyone has ever viewed,” Her boss hummed quietly to herself, and patted Eve’s knee with a friendly smile, “You were such a great worker for me while you were cooperative; but if you even so much as blink in the direction of my investigation, I won’t hesitate to melt you down and mold you into a nice ring like the pair of tweezers you are. You’re not as irreplaceable as you believe.”

And with that, Carolyn got up and headed to the car, reaching in and grabbing a box and coming back to hand it to Eve. Her smile was gone now, and she held that same emotionless face from before. The box was placed into Eve’s shaking hands before she could protest, and Carolyn returned back to the car.

“Tell your husband I send my best wishes,” She called from the rolled down window, “He’s a good man. Though I’m sure you know that well enough.”

With that, she drove off and left Eve alone on the step. Her chest heaved and she set her head in her hands. Slow, steady breaths. She would not cry, she would not cry, she would not cry. Her contact with Villanelle was gone, and now all she has was Niko. Hands that she knew were her own pulled at her hair and she wanted to scream with… Anger? Grief? She couldn’t comprehend all the feelings swelling her heart.

So she got up. She went back in the party and kissed Niko and laughed along with all of Gemma’s shitty stories and accepted offers of wine and gin and didn’t speak of her job at all. Her old job. By the end of the night, the guests had left with plans to come again the next weekend. Niko fucked her with an even brighter passion, and when he came, he came early. She hobbled to the bathroom once he was asleep and pulled out the dress she’d hidden in her usual hiding spot underneath the sink. It was of beautiful quality, and when Eve put it on it fit her perfectly. Her hands rubbed up and down her body, finally resting on her ass. Did Villanelle see her like this? Like a gorgeous, unstoppable woman. Her heart swelled. She knew what she had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was very fun to write! The next chapters will also be very fun for me and for you too!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope this is a good intro to the story! Please comment if you have any questions or like it, it'd mean a lot :-)


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